“There will be a palpable, thick darkness … there was an opaque darkness in all Egypt for three days. No one could see their neighbour, nor could anyone rise from their place.” (Exodus 10:21-23)
We often think of this plague as innocuous, perhaps the least severe of the ten. In fact, many “Plague Story Kits” for children include nothing more than a pair of sunglasses to represent it.
Yet this, the penultimate plague, was arguably one of the most devastating, because of the profound isolation it created. It is for this reason that JAMI (the Jewish Association for Mental Illness) chose this Shabbat to raise awareness for mental wellness.
Darkness is heavy, pervasive and frightening. We have all encountered it in both its literal and metaphorical forms and we know many others who struggle with it. The most harrowing part of this biblical description is not just the lack of light but also the paralysis: the Egyptians were unable to rise from their beds or reach out to one another.
The artist Vincent van Gogh once wrote in his journal: “A man may have a great fire in his soul and passers-by see only a little smoke coming from the chimney.”
It is difficult enough not to know how someone is; not being able to reach out or be reached out to is harder still. Many of us struggle with these periods of darkness. We should take this parasha as a vital reminder of the Jewish impulse that permeates the Torah: Lo tuchal l’hitalem – you cannot remain indifferent. You cannot ignore the suffering of those around you.
I am deeply grateful to JAMI for the essential support they offer to those experiencing their own darkness. Long may their precious work continue. My sermon mental wellness sin light of this Torah portion will be on their website.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rebecca
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